Abstract
This study aims to explore the values of using smartphones in older adults’ daily lives in China. The value of using smartphones can be seen as the benefits associated with the use of smartphones in peoples’ daily activities. By employing the Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) approach, this study investigates what fundamental objectives and means objectives are important with the daily use of smartphones for older adults in China. Based on the data collected from the interviews, we developed a means-ends objective network describing the values of using smartphones for older adults in China. According to the results, maximizing well-being, maximizing life efficiency, maximizing safety, and maximizing digital inclusion are identified as the fundamental objectives to maximize values of using smartphones for older adults in China.
Highlights
The objective of this study is to explore the values of using smartphones for older adults in China
By following the Value-Focused Thinking (VFT) approach, we interviewed the participants with the probing questions below: “What are the benefits of using smartphones, and why is that important?” “What difficulties have you experienced in using smartphones?” “What kind of supports have you received to use smartphones?” “Do you have some expectations on using smartphones?” By asking these questions, we primarily discovered the objectives of older adults’ usage of smartphones and formed an initial list of objectives
This study investigated the values of using smartphones in peoples’ daily lives from the perspectives of older adults in China by using VFT approach
Summary
Smartphones have become an inseparable part of peoples’ daily lives. It allows users to make mobile shopping, make mobile payments, watch videos, and so on. Smartphones have the potential to enhance the quality of peoples’ lives [8, 9]. Smartphones come with social network functionality built in, which enable users to keep in touch with their friends and relatives on different social media sites (e.g., Twitter, Facebook, Wechat [7], and Instagram). Smartphones come with music and video players built in, which enable users to listen to their favorite music, and watch video clips and TV shows. In [22], the authors found that using smartphones could enhance older adults’ ability in different physical, mental, and social dimensions of life through enhancing their knowledge, facilitating their communication with friends, enabling their participation in social networks, and so on
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have